Discuss washing, waxing and detailing information as well as interior/exterior cosmetic modifications. This includes neons, body, cosmetic wheels, etc. Even under the hood detailing.
Ok, so I want my car to sparkle this summer. This is the first really decent looking car I have owned in a LONG time
I have used the the meguiars(sp?) 3 step process, but I have never been overly impressed with the results.
So I want my car to look good this summer, without breaking the bank. So if you could recommend some decently priced products that would be great. I have have no qualms with using a little elbow grease, and I am will to take the time to make it look right.
And I have no dedication to any company. So I am open to any products, but I would like to keep the total cost under $50 at most $75
Reality is that unless you want to drop about $200 - $250 on a professional machine polisher and some good polishes, you really won't get much better then what you were using before. You could try some Meguiar's Swirl X and / or Meguiar's Scratch X, but even then likely the most you will be able to achieve is just breaking the oxidation on the surface of the clear coat. I did scratch x on a two door neon once... my arms were absolutely dead when I was done and the results just were not worth all the work.
Ryan 2003 Bonneville SSEi - The Black Mirror SOLD! 2002 Bonneville SE - The MuttComplete 2004 SLE interior, drivetrain, and body harness swap, ECC swap, HUD swap, black GXP wheels, GXP headlights and tinted tails - SOLD 2003 BMW 540i M Sport, 2001 BMW X5 4.4i, 2010 GMC Acadia, 2017 Grand Design Imagine 3150BH 1982 Cutlass Supreme - The fun one
MattStrike wrote:It was the worst week of my life! *pause, drinks beer... smiles* But I'm better now!
x2. An Orbital polisher will blow your mind when you're done, but it's a decent investement. I have around $250 in my setup.
Bye Bye: RIP sandrock
Sirius wrote:Think about it. You’re tooling down the road in your Prius, knowing full-well that this thing being green is as big a sham as federally mandated ethanol-enriched gas, Russia pulling out of Ukraine, and Obamacare.
What those knuckleheads said is 100% true. I have the same set up as Ed and have done several cars with awesome results after spending around 250 for my setup.
If you want to just stick with hand products Maguires is probably my favorite for the price.
2000 SE: 17" Chrome Grand Prix GTP wheels, Pirelli P-Zero Nero Rubber.
180,000 miles and running smooth
No worries about burning through the paint with an orbital. About the most trusted out there is the porter cable 7424 xp.
I use and highly recommend Menzerna polishes, you can find everything you need from http://www.autogeek.net they also have a great forum if you would like to check it out.
As far as having a body shop do the work for you.... if you are into keeping your car clean yourself don't pay someone else to do it. You will pay the same money, only have it done once, and if it don't live up to your expectations too bad. If you buy the stuff you will have enough polish and pads to last several years and dozens of details.
Ryan 2003 Bonneville SSEi - The Black Mirror SOLD! 2002 Bonneville SE - The MuttComplete 2004 SLE interior, drivetrain, and body harness swap, ECC swap, HUD swap, black GXP wheels, GXP headlights and tinted tails - SOLD 2003 BMW 540i M Sport, 2001 BMW X5 4.4i, 2010 GMC Acadia, 2017 Grand Design Imagine 3150BH 1982 Cutlass Supreme - The fun one
MattStrike wrote:It was the worst week of my life! *pause, drinks beer... smiles* But I'm better now!
Not with an orbital, that's a rotary buffer that you run that risk. Your biggest risk with an orbital is dropping it and denting or scratching the panel.
Sirius wrote:Think about it. You’re tooling down the road in your Prius, knowing full-well that this thing being green is as big a sham as federally mandated ethanol-enriched gas, Russia pulling out of Ukraine, and Obamacare.
x2. An Orbital polisher will blow your mind when you're done, but it's a decent investement. I have around $250 in my setup.
